Combined electric broiler and heater



Dec. 31, 1935. J. E. RHODES COMBINED ELECTRIC BROILER AND HEATER Filed FQb. 26, 1935 [1V V ENTOR Jc'alw? 5 Rhodes B Y Patented Dec. 3 1, 1935 V/UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED ELECTRIC BBOILEB AND HEATER John E. Rhodes, Seattle, Wash. Application February 26, 1935, Serial No. 8.281 a claims. (01. 219-34) This invention re1at t bi d l tric room heater and broiler showing the same in two broiler and heater and the present invention is different P i i ns in o whi h i m y be adjusted in the nature of an improvement on the electric Opened Out for use a a r om heater. cooker disclosed in my patent applicatiomfierial Fig; is a front elevation of the device as it 5 Number 753,870, filed Nov. 20, 1934. may app ar wh p ed ut n the a n 5 A primary object of this invention is to provide SltiOIl Shown in 3 to Operate as a room an electric appliance of the heat reflector type heaterwhich is quickly easily convertible t il Like reference numerals designate like parts either into an electric broiler or into a reflector throughout the S v Vi w type electric heater, Referring to the drawing, I 0-H! and H-l l 10 Another object of this invention is to provide es a e two se cy d al fl ct members a combined electric broiler and heater in which which a s serve as u in pa ts- The ow r the housing of the device forms the heat reflector sections l0 d II of the reflector rs are means and i hi h the upper pgrtion of each relatively fixed while the upper sections l9 and it half or said housing is hinged to the lower portion a adjusta l nto di f t a u a p s 5 thereof and forms an adjustable reflector section $10115 The fixed reflector Sections d H are by which the heat from a heating element may provided w rigidly connected end p t s be reflected downwardly, l3, l4 and I5 which form closure means at the Another object of the invention is to provide a ends f the w h lves of the combined r m combined electric broiler and heater comprising heater and cooker. These end members extend 20 two concave semi-cylindrical housing and refiecbeyond the forward edges 0f the fl c r memtor sections hinged together in such a, manner bers so that when the two halves of the device that they may be closed in face to face opposed are positioned together in face to face relation relation to direct heat onto a single object to with the d e b bu a st with be broiled or opened a part to direct heat outother, 95 Shown in Figs- 1 d an Opening 16 25 wardly into a room at any desired angular 10- will be left at the top and another opening ill sition. will be left at the bottom between the forward Another object of this invention is to provide a edges of the reflector m m ers. El ctric heatin combined electric heater and broiler adapted for elements it and 2c are provided in the reflectors $0 broiling meat or like juicy food in an upright iii and M respectively. These heating elements ac position with a. minimum loss of juice from said it and 2c are positioned substantially mid way food said broiler scaring the lower portion of the between the tops and bottoms of the reflectors uprightpiece of food quickly to seal in the juices relatively close to the heat reflecting surfaces. and then cooking the upper portion of said piece These electric heating elements it and so may of food, all as more fully described in my prior each comprise the usual high resistance wire 2t 35 patent application hereinbefore identified. wound on an insulating core 22. Metal strap Another object of the invention is to provide a means 23 may extend around the cores 22 and combined electric heater and broiler which is simbe secured as by bolts 24 to a plate 25 of insulat= ple and inexpensive in construction, eflicient in ing material positioned externally of the heat reoperation, both as a broiler and as a heater, and fiectors; The metal strap means 23 are electricalquickly and easily changed from a broiler to a 1y connected with the high resistance wires 29 room heater or vice versa. and serve both as binding posts and mechanical I Other and more specific objects will be apparsupports for the electric heating elements. Housent from the following description taken in c nings 26 are provided over the insulating plates 5 nection with the accompanying drawing. and electrical connections on the exterior of the In the drawing Figure l is a view in perspecreflectors. Circuit wires extend into said houstive of a combined electric broiler and heater conings 26 and connect with the metal strap bindstructed' in accordance with my invention, showing post means 23. ing the same as it may appear when adjusted The end walls 02 and i 3 of the semi-cylindrical for use as a broiler. heater sections are hinged together by hinges 2?. w

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section of the same Readily releasable latch means 28 is provided showing an article to be broiled operatively supfor releasably securing the other two end walls ported by a grill in a broiling position in the I4 and I5 together. The latch means 28 is prefbroiler. p erably positioned near the top of the heater, as Figs. 3 and. 4 are plan views of this combined shown in Fig. 1, and a drip pan 3ll, having in- 50 wardly bent edges 3! cooperating with reversely bent portions 32 of the reflectors it and II serves as a releasable meansv for securing the two halves of the heater together at the bottom.

Two leg members 33 are provided on the lower side of each reflector member. These leg memhere 33 are shaped and positioned so that they will form a substantial support for the two halves of the heater irrespective of the adjusted position of said two halves.

=When the device is to be used for broiling, barbecuing or cooking, the two halves thereof are positioned in opposed face to face relation, the

latch means it is fastened and the drip pan 39 is engaged with the curved edge portions 32 as shown in Fig. 2. The piece of food or article 36 to be broiled is placed between the two sides of a two part grill 35 and inserted through the top opening it. The current is then turned on .to energize the heaters and cook the article 36%. The heating elements it and 26 are positioned far enough away from the article 36 which is being cooked so that substantially none of the fats or juices which are thrown off by the food due toi the action of the heat will come in contact with said heating elements. For this reason there will be very little deterioration of the heating elements as contrasted with the deterioration which occurs if the heating elements are placed relatively close to the food.

For the purpose of directing substantially all of the heat from the heating elements it and 2t onto the lower portion of the food at the beginning of the cooking or broiling operation I construct the reflectors iii-4i! and ii-ii' in two sections and connect the upper sections it and M with the lower sections it and H by hinges 3B. Quickly releasable latch members 37.? engaging fixed transverse bar portions 33 releasably secure the sections iii and, i i, in raised position so that they form parts of semi-cylindrical reflectors. When these portions it and ii are lowered into the positions shown by dot and dash lines in Fig. 2, they will direct substantially all of the heat from the heating elements it and it onto the lower portion of the piece of food 3% which is supported in an uprightposition between the spaced apart heating elements, thus ...quickly searing the lower portion of said piece of food on both sides and forming a seal so that the juice and liquid fat can not escape. As soon as the lower portion of the upright piece of food has been thus seared the deflector portions ill and ii are angularly moved upwardly until they coincidewith the walls of the reflectors. When the deflector portions it and H are in the-raised position indicated by dot and dash lines in Fig. 2 they will lie'closelyagainst the reflectors where they will form a part of the heat reflectingysurfaces and cooperate in distributing and reflecting the heat from the heating elements evenly against the piece of food 3Q:

thecooking of the piece of food. is continued the parts which are liquefied by the heat will tend to run down 'toward the lower portion thereof butwill be retained and prevented from escaping by the coating which has been formed by searing the exterior of the lower portion of said piece of food. Products of condensation and such liquids as are lost will be caught. by the drip pan 20. I

In cooking food in this device when it is adjusted to form a broiler the preferred method of operation is to place the food in the broiler, turn on the heat; Exposition the deflector portions l6 aoeasoe latch means 28, and angularly swinging the two 10 halves of the device apart. These two hingedly connected halves may be opened out so that they are side by side, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. In this position the heat will be directed outwardly from the two heating elements in substantially 15 parallel directions. Also these two halves may be positioned at substantially right angles to each other, as shown in Fig. 4, or said two halves may be relatively positioned at substantially any other desired angle within limits to secure 20 any desired distribution oi. the heat.

The adjustable reflector sections it and ii are useful in directing the heat downwardly and out over the floor on which the heater rests when the device is used as a room heater. The 25 hinges S6 provide-enough friction to hold the sections it'- and l i in any adjusted position in v l which they are placed. This makes it possible to direct the major portion of the heat at substantially any desired elevation.

The latch members 3'! form convenient handles by which the device may be handled.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawing clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood 5 upper adjustable'heat reflecting section hinged 45 to the lower section; substantially semi-circular end walls secured to the ends of said heat reflectors providing two similar heater halves; heating elements operatively positioned in each of said heater halves adjacent the heat reflector 50 means thereof; hinge means pivotally connecting the twoend walls at one end of the heat reflectors providing relative angular adjustment of the two heater halves through an angle of substantially one hundred eighty degrees; and read- 55 ily releasable means securing the two heater halves together in face to face relation. v

2. In a combined electric room' heater and cooker, two lower concave heat reflector sections each substantially the shape of one quarter of 60 a hollow cylinder; two upper concave heat reflector sections each of substantially quarter cylinder shape hinged respectively to the upper edges of said lower heat reflector sections and adjustable angularly relative to said lower sec- 65 tions; substantially semi-circular end walls secured to said lower heat reflector sections and cooperating to provide two similar heater halves; heating elements operatively disposed in each of said heater halves adjacent the heat reflectors; 70

hinge means pivotally connecting the two end walls .at one end of the heat reflectors providing relative angular adjustment of the two heater halves through an angle of substantially one hundred eighty degrees; and readily releasable means securing the two heater halves together when they are positioned in face to face relation.

3. In a combined electric heater and cooker, two semicylindrical heat reflectors, substantially semicircular end walls secured to the ends of each of said reflectors providing two similar heater halves, said end walls extending beyond the open sides of the heat reflectors providing an opening at the top and another opening at the bottom when said two heater halves are placed together in face to face relation; electric heating element means in each of said heater halves adjacent the heat reflectors; hinge means pivotally connecting the two end walls at one end of said heater halves providing, relative angular movement of said halves between a face to face and an open position; reversely and outwardly curved portions on said heat reflectors along the edges of said bottom opening; and a drip pan engaging said reversely curved portions securing said two heater halves together.

JOHN E. RHODES. 

